System for adjusting to temperature watch-balances and hair-springs



(No Model.) '11 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- G. E. HUNTER. SYSTEM FORADJUSTING T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR SPRINGS. 7

No. 484,796. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G.E.HUNTER. SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING 1'0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES A I D. r AY M I 11 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

G. E. HUNTER. SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING TO TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR SPRINGS.

No. 484,796. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Shet 5. G. BHUNTER. SYSTEM EOE ADJUSTING TO TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR SPRINGS.

Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 6.

G. E. HUNTER. SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR SPRINGS.

No. 484,796. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

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(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 7.

G. E. HUNTER. SYSTEM FOR ADJUST T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES I HAIR SPRINGS. No. 484,796. Patented 001:.25, 1892.

(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 8. G. E. HUNTER.

' SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR SPRINGS.

Patented O t. 25, 1892.

b 4 E i 5 E i A (No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 9. G. E. HUNTER.

' SYSTEM FOR ADJUST T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES HAIR SPRINGS.

No. 484,796. Patented Oct. 25, 1892.

(No Model.) 11 Sheets-Sheet 10.

G. E. HUNTER. SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANCES AND HAIR. SPRINGS.

No. 484,796. Patented Oct. 25, 1892;

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(No Model.) 11Sheets-Sheet 11.

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SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING T0 TEMPERATURE WATCH BALANGES AND HAIR SPRINGS.

Patented 00c. '25, 1392.. 7

[MW WNW @Q v A UNITED "STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HUNTER, OF ELGIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELGIN NATIONAL IVATCH COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SYSTEM FOR ADJUSTING TO TEMPERATURE WATCH-BALANCES AND HAIR-SPRINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,796, dated October 25, 1892. Application filedJannary 26, 1892. Serial No. 419,271. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at El gin, in the county of Kane, and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Systems for Timing and Adjusting to Temperature Watch-Balances and Hair-Springs; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the vibrator employed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the vibrator upon line m, Fig. 2. Fig.4is a central longitudinal section, some parts being shown in side elevation. Fig. 5 is a like view of the casing of said vibrator and shows in side elevation the electrically-operated levers employed for releasing the vibrating train, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper side of the same. Fig.7 is a like View of the disk and clutch which 0perate directly to arrest and release the vibrating train. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the armature employed for actuating the said releasing mechanism. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the mechanism of the time-switch, the casing being broken away to show the arrangement of parts. Fig. 10 is a rear elevation of the same, the casing being in section. Fig. 11 is a section of said switch on line 00 5c of Fig. 10. Fig.12 is a like view of the same upon line as 00' of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a plan view of the indicator and recorder and their connecting mechanism. Figs. 14: and 15 are respectively side and end elevations of the same. Fig. 16 is an enlarged plan view of the mechanism employed for setting the hands to zero. Fig. 17 is a like view of the mechanism for connecting the recording and indicating mechanism with the actuating device. Fig. 18 is a plan view of the lower side of the recorder and indicator. Fig. 19 is a section of the same upon line 00 00 of Fig. 13, and Fig. 20 is a plan view of the various parts of my mechanism and shows their relation to each other when arranged for use.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in the several figures. I

My invention relates tothe timing and ad justing of watch-balances and hair-springs before the same are placed in watch-movements; and such invention consists in the method employed, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the carrying ofmy invention into practice each balance or hair-spring is vibrated a predetermined number of times within or in connection with a device that corresponds to the time-train for which it is intended and the time required for such vibrations is accurately measured and registered. The vibrator preferably used, as shown in Fig. 1, consists, essentially, of an ordinary time-train A, inclosed within a casing B and adapted to be operated by a spring or a weight in any usual manner. For testing balances the usual bal: ance is omitted from the movement and the balance-arbor C provided with a standard hair-spring D and upon or within its projecting end is adapted to receive and hold a balance E, while for testing hair-springs a standard balance is attached to the arbor, the hair-spring is omitted, and provision made for the ready attachment and removal of hair-springs to be tested. The fourth arbor-a of the time-train Aprojects downward below the casing B and upon its end has secured a disk F, while directly below the same and in a line therewith axially is a second larger disk G, which is carried by an independentlyjournaled arbor H. Said disk is provided upon its upper face with a ring g, that is out apart at one point and has such diameter of interior as to cause it to encircle said disk F and embrace the periphery of the latter with sufficient force to cause said disk G torotatei with said. disk F. The ring g is attached'at one end only to its disk G, and may be opened when desired, so as to leave the disk F free; Such operation is effected by means of a lever 1, which is secured upon a shaft K, that is j ournaled horizontally and transversely within the casing B and is provided with an arm 1;, that extends upward and by a movement of said lever in one direction is caused to enter between and to separate the ends of said ring, while by an opposite movement of said lever said arm will be withdrawn and said a ring againpermitted to close. To facilitate IOO such operation, the disk G is provided with a peripheral notch g at the point where said ring is divided, which has such size and shape as to permit said arm to be moved inward sufiiciently to open said ring. The lever I is provided at one end with a permanent weight 1', while upon its opposite portion, which is threaded, is provided asecond weight '5 that is adapted to travel over such threaded portion and enables such adjustment of said parts as to cause said arm 1; to have anormal tendency to engage with said out ring, so as to arrest the motion of said disk G, but not with sufficient force to cause said ring to open.

The shaft K is supported upon or within insulating bearings and is provided with a collar K, that has a binding-screw from which a flexible wire L extends to a binding-post M outside of the casing, while secured upon or forming part of the threaded portion of the lever I is a spring i that is adapted to impingeupon a contact-screw N, which is provided at such point and suitably insulated from said casing.

Pivoted at one end within the end of the casing B adjacent to the contact-screw N is a lever O, which has the formshown in Fig. 5 and at its free forked end 0 has pivoted a finger P with a tail-piece p, which rests normally upon the upper face of said lever-arm and is held in such position with a yielding force by means of a spring 0'. From its pivotal connection with said lever said finger extends forward and downward and at its end is adapted to engage with the end of an arm Q,which is secured to and extends from the shaft K. At or near the longitudinal center of the lever O is pivoted one endof a rod R, which from thence extends downward to and is connected with an armature I", whicharmatnre is adapted to be acted upon by magnetcoils S and S, that are located beneath the same. A spring T, placed around the rod R and having its ends confined between a collar r upon the latter and a guide M, which projects from the bracket U, that supports said magnet-coils, operates to hold said rod and said lever O with a yielding pressure at the upper limit of their motion, whileby the application of a current of electricity to the magnet-coils said parts through the armature 1* will be moved to the lower limit of their motion, and during such movement the finger P will engage with the'arm Q and give to the shaft K a partial rotation and move the arm i out of engagement with the cut ring g. As said arm Q and finger P move downward below their pivotal bearings, their ends will move apart until at a predetermined point the latter slips off from the former and the lever I is permitted to resume its normal position.

When the ring g is engaged with thedisk F and'is unobstructed, it moves with thelatter and carries with it the disk G, and when and then curves toward said arm to.

the armt' is permitted to engage with the ends of said out ring all motion of the timetrain is arrested; but by a further inward movement of said arm said cut ring may be opened, so as to release said disk F and permit said time-train to move again. Such release is effected by means of a rod V, which extends longitudinally inward through one end of the casing B with its inner end adjacent to the upper end of said arm 2'. At its outer end said rod is provided with a push button, and by means of a suitable spring it is held at'the outer limit of its motion, as shown, and when moved to the inner limit of its motion by the operators hand will engage with and move said arm 1' into the notch g of said disk G and spread said out ring, so as to release the time-train.

It will be seen that after a balance has been placed in position an inward movement of the push'rod V will spread the cut ring 9 and enable the time-train to start, while by the application of an electric current to the coils S and S the lever 0 will be drawn downward, and through the finger P and the arm Q the shaft K will be turned so as to withdraw the arm '11 from engagement with said out ring, when the latter will close and the disk G instantlycommence to rotate with the disk F of said time-train. After the withdrawal of the arm t' from engagement with the cut ring g it is intended that the latter shall make one entire revolution and that said arm shall then automatically engage with the same and instantly arrest its movement and the motion of the time-train. This operation is effected as follows: Pivoted near its center upon the cock h, which journals the arbor H, is a plate W, which has the form shown in Fig. 7, the portion upon one side of its pivotal bearing being provided with an elongated opening w, that spans said shaft and permits the plate to be oscillated upon said bearing the required distance. The opposite end of said plate is forked, and one of its arms to has such length as to cause its end to project slightly beyond the periphery of the disk "G, while the opposite arm to extends outward beyond said disk When the arm t is moved out of contact with the cut ring g, it strikes against the curved arm to of the plate or detent Wand moves the free end of the latter so as to cause its arm w to project partly across the notch g of the disk G, so that when said arm is permitted to be moved inward again by the weight 2" it will impinge upon and be supported by said arm w. After the movement of said disk has caused the cut portion of said ring g to pass beyond said arm 2' a pin 9 secured within and projecting downward from said disk, engages with a tail-piece w upon said detent and swings the latter in an opposite direction until said arm w passes out of engagement with the arm 6, which arm then moves inward until it rests upon the periphery of said disk,

where it remains until the further rotation of the latter brings the cut portion of said ring into position to permit said lever-arm to move inward into engagement therewith and thereby instantly arrest the motion of the timetrain.

In connection with the vibrator described I employ a standard clock and two registering mechanisms, which, for the purpose of distinguishing them, I call, respectively, a recorder and an indicator. These registering devices are driven at a uniform velocity by any suitable motor and are adapted to be readily connected with and disconnected from such motor. The recorder is controlled by the vibrator and is intended to run as long as the balance requires to make the number of vibrations representing one minute of correct time, while the indicator is controlled by the clock and when set in motion is intended to run precisely one minute. The vibrator, recorder, and indicator being simultaneously started, the time in excess of or less than one minute which is necessary for producing the representative vibrations will show how much said balance is slow or fast. The recorder and indicator have preferably the same construction and consist, essentially, of a casing X, having suitable registering mechanism that is adapted to show upon a dial Y or upon dials Y and Y, the number of revolutions of a driving-arbor Z. Said registering mechanism is provided with the usual means for setting the hands or other indicating devices at zero before'each trial. For such purpose I preferably employ heartshaped cams and a bar which is operated by apush-button A, as shown in Fig. 16.

For driving the registering mechanisms I show an electric motor A which is secured upon or connected with a shaft B, that extends transversely beneath the recorder and indicator, as shown. From such shaft there is driven a vertically-arranged arbor O, which at its upper end is provided with a finelytoothed wheel D that occupies the same plane as and is near to asimilar wheel E, which is secured upon the lower end of the arbor Z. Pivoted at the intersection of its arms is an L-shaped bar E, which has journaled upon the end of one of its arms f a toothed wheel G which has preferably about twice the diameter of the wheels D and E and by a movement of said bar upon its-pivotal bearing may be caused to engage with and connect said wheels, so as to cause a rotation of one to be communicated to the other, while by an opposite movement of said bar said intermediate-wheel will be moved out of such engagement. The opposite arm f of said bar forms-or is attached to an armature which by the action of magnet-coils H and 1-1 may be moved soas to'cau'se engagement between said wheels D, E, and G, while a spring I, engaging-with the end of said arm f operates to hold said parts normally out of engagement.

The mechanism employed for. connecting the clock with the indicator is shown in Figs. 9 to 12, and is constructed as follows, viz: Secured upon ahorizontally-journaled hollow shaft J is a disk K, that at one point of its periphery has inserted a piece'of insulating material 10 and has constant engagement of periphery with an electric spring L'.. Upon said shaft is also secured a toothed wheel M, which has sixty teeth and is engaged by a like wheel N, that is attached to and adapted to rotate with a ratchet-wheel O, which is provided with sixty-two teeth 0.

The disk and other parts described are inclosed by a casing P, which has the form shown, and in the lower portion of the same is placed two magnet coils Q and Q, and beneath the same is an armature R, which is pivoted at one end to said casing and by means of an intermittent current of electricity passing through said coils may have a vertically-reciprocatory motion produced at its free end. To said free end is secured a bar S, which from thence extends upward beside the ratchet-wheel O and at its upper end s is adapted to engage with the teeth 0 at each upper movement of said armature. A spring 5 hearing against the outer side of said bar or pawl, operates to hold the same in normal contact with said ratchet-teeth, so as to insure the engagement of said parts whenever said armature moves upward, while permitting its engaging end to trip over said teeth when said armature and ratchet bar or pawl move downward, the arrangement of parts causing the disk K to be given a step-by-step rotation whenever an intermittent or interrupted electric current is applied to the magnetcoils. Such result is secured by connecting said coils electrically with an accurate clock T, sothat-each beat of its pendulum t sends through them an'electric impulse that gives motion to said armature and causes through the same and the connected mechanism a partial rotation of said disk K.

The disk K is intended to make nearly a complete revolution and then automatically stop. This is efiiected by means of a pin 7.0 which projects from one of the faces of said disk near its periphery and is adapted to en-' gage with an arm 8 that projects upward and inward from the pawl S, and by such engagement to press the latter outward until it no longer engages with the teeth of the ratchetwheel 0. At the instant when such disengagement of said pawl is eifected the contact-spring L engages with the insulating piece 10 for purposes hereinafter described. To relieve the disk from such. stoppage, I employa rod V, which projects downward through the casing P and is supported by means of a spring to with its lower end just above said pin k after the latter has moved said pawl out of engagement with said ratchet-wheel and is adapted to have a limited longitudinal motion. A downward pressure upon the upper end of said rod will cause its lower end to engage with said pin and to move the same downward until out of engagement with the pawl-arm s when said pawl will again engage with said ratchetwheel and give to the same the step-by-step motion. The contact-spring L is connected by a wire Z with magnet-coils of the indicator, while a second wire V connects said indicator and the vibrator with a contactspring \V', that is arranged to bear against one side of the disk K.

The mechanism thus combined is used as follows, viz: The operator, having set the recording and indicating devices at zero, places a balance in position within the vibrator and by an inward pressure upon the rod V releases the time-train and permits it to run. After said balance has attained its maximum arc of vibration the operator pushes down upon the rod V, so as to cause the ratchetwheel 0' to be engaged by the pawl S, and by such movement turns the disk K until the insulating-piece It has passed the contactspring L, which closes the circuit through the magnet-coils S and S of the vibrator and the magnet-coils H and H of the indicator, and causes the time-train of the former and the indicating mechanism of the latter to move. The retraction of the lever-arm 'i from engagement with the cut ring 9 of the vibrator produces contact between the spring 7, and screw N and, closing the circuit through the magnet-coils H and H of the recorder, causes the mechanism of the latter to be set in motion. When the clock has beat sixty times, the rotation of the disk K has brought the insulating-piece 7c beneath the contactspring L and, breaking the circuit, releases the armature r of the vibrator, so as to .permit the lever O to return to its upper normal position, and at the same time releases the armature f of the indicator, so as to cause the indicating mechanism to instantly stop. When the balance has vibrated the predetermined number of times, whether before, at, or after the expiration of sixty seconds, the movement of the locking-arm 11 causes the contact-spring t and screw to separate and by thus breaking the circuit effect the instant stoppage of the recorder mechanism. This method may also be employed for the compensation of balances, for which purpose it will only be necessary that the vibrator be.

run in extremes of temperature and the errors noted and corrected in the usual manner.

The apparatus shown and described is not not claimed herein, but is the subject-matterot' aseparate application filed on an even date herewith and having the Serial N 0. 419,272.

I claim is-- 1. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same a predetermined number of times in connection with a standard that is actuated for an interval of time which an accurate balance or spring would take to make such number'of vibrations and noting the relation between the balance or spring and the standard at the conclusion of the vibrations and the interval of time, respectively, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same the number of times which a standard balance or spring would vibrate during a predetermined interval of time, simultaneously starting two registering devices and actuating one of the same during the vibration of the balance or hair-spring and the other during the predetermined interval of time, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same the number of times which a standard balance or spring would vibrate during a predetermined interval of time in connection with a registering device, stopping the latter when such number of vibrations is made, and actuating in connection with the vibration of said balance or spring a second registering device for the predetermined interval of time, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

4:. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same the number of times which a standard balance or spring would vibrate during a predetermined interval of time, simultaneously starting two similar registering devices and actuatingthem at the same speed and stopping one of said devices simultaneously with the completion of the number of vibrations of the balance or spring and stopping the other simultaneously with the expiration of the predetermined interval of time, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same in connection with a registering device the number of times which a standard balance or spring would vibrate during a predetermined interval of time and simultaneously operating a standard timepiece during such interval of time in connection with a separate registering device and then comparing the registrations of the devices, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

6. The method employed for testing balances and hair-springs, which consists in vibrating the same the number of times which a standard balance or spring would vibrate Having thus described my invention, what.-

during a predetermined interval of time simultaneously with the operation of a standard timepiece during such interval and in connection with two registering devices In testimony that I claim the foregoing I Whose operation is commenced simultanehave hereunto set my hand this 19th day of ously and one of which is stopped when the November, 1891.

number of vibrations has been made, While GEORGE E. HUNTER. 5 the other is stopped at the expiration of the Witnesses:

predetermined interval of time, substantially GEO. S. PRINDLE,

as and for the purpose specified. CARLOS H. SMITH. 

